i was really planning on getting a windows phone just to check it out,but after this app issue(and a whole thread about it), i am not going to.

posted from my amazing blackberry 10.3 device.

This is the main reason why this thread doesn't contribute much to the WP community, now he is scared to choose WP just because few of the persons didn't like the way some applications behave... who knows Rahul would have not needed most of the applications listed in the thread and also he could have needed those apps to check basic things....

@Rahul1234 - Forget this thread and buy a low level WP Phone (525/530), use it and validate it for yourself. i'm happy with facebook app as i just check and post a few. most of the applications which people have complained are good in their basic needs.

people want the whole experience what they except on an browser or on other platform but dont understand that they need to spend money to get these developed. since WP user base is low, app developers are hesitating to put more money into the development of applications with frequent updates. FB has been getting its fare share of updates this year and so do other applications.

WP is also starting to grow slowly year on year, its always happy to grow with an ecosystem because you know what went through the system to make it more efficient. this could make you tech guy in your friend/family circle...

This is so pathetic, do you guys really think its very easy to make an app for mobile?

@Pranshul Sood, since you started this thread, how about you make a decent app for WP, i'm not asking you to do a graphics intensive game but a decent app, may be a notepad with encryption or something useful. Its so easy to call applications pathetic or crap or all the nonsense you want but until and unless you can create something useful and contribute to the community you don't have right to call other applications crap.

All you people who complain that Microsoft or whatever developer is not doing a perfect job with their application, quit whining and do something about it. Either you create something to fill the Gap or replace the application, or just stop using the application.

No one reserves the right to complain about an application until and unless you buy it, when something is free, there is always strings attached to it.

I like the sentiment, but I have to disagree.

Race car drivers (I am generalizing here, but work with me) cannot design and build race cars, but they can certainly review cars and tell you if they are fast. The definition of fast is constantly a moving target, of course, so fast means faster, as in faster than their opponents cars on race day. Therefore, fast is a relative term, and used on a comparative basis. Fast means something different today than it did in 2010 or in 1950.

In the same way, app quality can be judged in a relative fashion. When I came to windows phone from android, I immediately noticed that the WP versions of some of my favorite apps were markedly inferior. I didn't have to build my own app to appreciate the difficulties of app creation, because there was already a benchmark - the application written for android greatly exceeded the WP version. I am not blaming the operating system here, but the experience. It doesn't matter to the end user why something isn't as good, but when it doesn't offer the same dependability or functionality, you don't have to be an app builder to notice and make a judgment.

I will give you an example. I play Words With Friends, by Zynga. Coming from the free Android version, the first thing I noticed was that I had to purchase the app. I am happy now that there are no ads, but at the time what I noticed was instability and a lack of functionality. The app didn't do as much and would often crash. Clearly Zynga had the resources to do better, but the app wasn't updated, even though the android version was regularly updated.

I rated the app poorly not because I had programmed other apps, but because I knew Zynga had the resources to do much much better. Finally, a few months ago, they offered an updated app that was completely rebuilt from the "ground up." The new app has restored most all of the features the android version offered and is speedy and much more stable. I now like the app, and can most certainly tell the difference.

IMHO, the main reason why people are disappointed with app quality on the WP platform is that the apps are not as well designed and are not regularly updated. If I am an app developer, u could certainly justify 40% of my development resources going to a platform with 40% of my user base and 2.5% going to a platform with 2.5% of my user base. I think that is what has happened to WP.

As such, the OP has made a good point. Maybe some developer will see their app mentioned in this thread and realize that they solved a certain problem on another platform and can quickly and simply apply the same fix to their WP port, and if so this thread served a great purpose. But even if all it does is create an outlet for a few rightfully unhappy users I think that can be cathartic.

I hope you understand that I am not devaluing the hard work of developers, but if the product isn't up to the quality of the same application on another platform, I don't believe you have to be a developer to have the right to say so.

In another note, I want to nominate the Cyan Update app. I know it is only on WP and its really Verizons fault that it just says "under testing," but I can't help but feel that the app doesn't actually do anything, and doesn't even try to offer additional information. It really feels do hyper specialized as to be pointless.

Race car drivers (I am generalizing here, but work with me) cannot design and build race cars, but they can certainly review cars and tell you if they are fast. The definition of fast is constantly a moving target, of course, so fast means faster, as in faster than their opponents cars on race day. Therefore, fast is a relative term, and used on a comparative basis. Fast means something different today than it did in 2010 or in 1950.

@savagelizards - i do agree with your example of race car. there is one small difference between what you say and what thread is going through. what you provide to your technical team is a feedback which helps the team to fine tune the car to be more precise to your needs so that you can race faster, do you think if you keep on complaining would it actually encourage your team to be proactive and look into your needs?

the same way, there are a lot of factors come into play when an application is being development, not to forget the time taken for the application to mature in an eco system. with few people on board in an eco system the dedicated people assigned for developing an application would be limited.

Originally Posted by savagelizards

Maybe some developer will see their app mentioned in this thread and realize that they solved a certain problem on another platform and can quickly and simply apply the same fix to their WP port, and if so this thread served a great purpose. But even if all it does is create an outlet for a few rightfully unhappy users I think that can be cathartic

what if the developer gets pissed off and stops developing for WP?

Originally Posted by savagelizards

I hope you understand that I am not devaluing the hard work of developers, but if the product isn't up to the quality of the same application on another platform, I don't believe you have to be a developer to have the right to say so.

i certainly understand that your motive isnt to deviate from the topic and to have a healthy discussion but what i want to emphasize is that given the low market share, they need to give time for the applications to mature and i can hear people say that we have been waiting for more than 1 to 1.5 years to get some of the functionality or something get fixed. i can understand the frustration but terming a thread with title "Pathetic" won't go with developer well (as far as i can know). we can still ask a few developers here in the forum what they would do if there application is listed in a thread titled pathetic.

my whole intention is that the title of the topic isn't a good one and doesn't go well. what the developers would love to hear is constructive feedback.

i myself a developer with 14 years of experience in C# and wanted to develop some application for WP and i'm looking for ideas. last week i helped a guy with an WP application for his college cultural. but when read this thread i just had a feeling that 'Will my application termed as pathetic?', 'should i spent my personal time in developing something which would end up in a list like this', 'is it worth to spend my quality time on building application for WP rather than spending time with my family and friends'

my whole point is be constructive with your feedback which would encourage developers, calling their application as pathetic doesn't go well with every developer.

@savagelizards - i do agree with your example of race car. there is one small difference between what you say and what thread is going through. what you provide to your technical team is a feedback which helps the team to fine tune the car to be more precise to your needs so that you can race faster, do you think if you keep on complaining would it actually encourage your team to be proactive and look into your needs?

Point taken, but I would be remiss not to mention that there are many times that a race broadcast will play audio from a driver-pit crew communication where drivers will complain about their cars in very colorful fashion. Sometimes in the heat of the moment, frustration that has built up over time comes to the surface quickly and forcefully. Our best selves might later wish that our issues had been phrased more tactfully, but to dismiss the underlying issues because of the tone of the message would be a mistake.

Originally Posted by Nandakumar Kesavan

What if the developer gets pissed off and stops developing for WP?

I think that ship has already sailed. The primary reason why the WP version of apps are often buggy or inferior is that a developer hasn't devoted any effort to refining/improving WP apps the same way they do on other platforms. A lot of these are 1.0 versions w/o the care and attention they need. Microsoft is playing defense here, so they simply want a given app to exist.

It's a chicken and egg problem. Without a good app experience, market share won't grow, and without market share, WP apps aren't getting their due attention. I believe that Microsoft's conclusion is that they have to continue to develop and update their own WP apps, which I generally am happy with, and build market share at the low end of the smartphone market until they have enough users that they can revisit the quality issue with developers.

That may indeed be the only way for WP to move forward, but the until the market share improves substantially, WP users will be left with what charitably could be described as a sub-optimal experience.

Flipboard - I quite like it already really, but its lack of functionality vs. iOS/Android is painful

Instagram - not even close to iOS/Android...

Those are the big ones that stick out most I imagine, with Facebook being in the lead. My wife's using my 1020 now. She actually loves the phone... but hates it as well. "Why can't I do *this* on Facebook, like on the Android tablet". Ugh... I've gotten sick and tired of trying to defend WP. I've got little hope left for the platform ever picking up slack with the big boys.

I believe that Microsoft's conclusion is that they have to continue to develop and update their own WP apps, which I generally am happy with, and build market share at the low end of the smartphone market until they have enough users that they can revisit the quality issue with developers.

That may indeed be the only way for WP to move forward, but the until the market share improves substantially, WP users will be left with what charitably could be described as a sub-optimal experience.

This summarises exactly my thoughts, but expressed better than I could. :D Spot on.
Perhaps there is hope... but WP will need a few big hitters to get a REAL mass of consumers that can attract the developers.

Point taken, but I would be remiss not to mention that there are many times that a race broadcast will play audio from a driver-pit crew communication where drivers will complain about their cars in very colorful fashion. Sometimes in the heat of the moment, frustration that has built up over time comes to the surface quickly and forcefully. Our best selves might later wish that our issues had been phrased more tactfully, but to dismiss the underlying issues because of the tone of the message would be a mistake

yes, i do agree that it happens but is it really necessary in this scenario where developers are not supporting WP. As you said we cant dismiss the fact that WP lagging behind interms of updates to apps but it has to be communicated in a healthy way which would result in proactive support and not in abandoning the application itself :)

As you said, its a chicken and egg problem and i do agree with your comment on Microsoft. There seems to be progress (with some mistakes) on how the mobile OS of microsoft is going towards. Universal Apps is one such initiative which would help grow the mobile platform. having a huge desktop user base, microsoft is planning to leverage that area to bring in more applications into the windows store. who knows soon the windows 8 desktop application facebook could make into windows phone in 2015 and also other few applications.

i have already started enjoying a few universal apps like AoE... End of 2015 would let us know how its going to turn around

So, we shouldn't say a word whether app is good or bad? Or actually if it's bad.

I and most wp users prefer quality over quantity but your comment is saying that you prefer quantity.

At what point did I say I prefer quantity over quality? I said this would discourage devs from continuing their development on the platform. Continued development of an app does not equal new apps therefore your quantity over quality comment is null and void. I'm very much for quality but not so much for using words like "pathetic" and "crap" in describing the work of devs. I would choose to constructively criticise an app not what some people are doing here. As someone who's never written a line of code in my life, I try to filter my vocabulary in criticising an app.

If it's a bad app them they should strive to improve it. Some of these apps never received an update. You're concerned about the devs feelings? The dev probably doesn't even check his/her app reviews. :-(

If it's a bad app them they should strive to improve it. Some of these apps never received an update. You're concerned about the devs feelings? The dev probably doesn't even check his/her app reviews. :-(

Many of the apps mentioned aren't from small, independent developers anyway. A lot of apps people are saying need improvement are Microsoft apps (Skype, Facebook, Lync).